No electricity but metre box has lights.

Bendy_House

Deleted_User said:

This morning, I switched them all off and on again and it tripped. I left one switch of each time and by the time I left the house, there was no tripping and the ground floor lights were the ones kept off. Will see when I get back from work.

You might be getting close to the cause, but it isn't certain.

Each circuit is likely to have some minor leakage, and when it all adds up to 30mA, the RCD should trip. So it could be that all the other circuits - including the 'leakiest' - are adding up to a theoretical 29mA, and then turning on the downstairs lighting circuit adds a measly 1 extra mA = trip!

But, good chance that the lighting circuit is the culprit.

When you turn off all other 5 and leave JUST that lighting MCB on, does it trip? If so, that's your answer.

Does that lighting include an outside light? Has it been windy and wet? Do you have any LED lamps fitted? Have any 'blown'? Any other lamps gone? Go round and make sure every light switch is off - does that make any difference? Still trip?

Unscrew every bulb... :-)

victor2

Our very old fridge/freezer developed a fault that tripped the RCD, but it was intermittent. Only really tracked it down when it became a pretty much permanent fault and would immediately trip the RCD when switched back on.
Funnily enough it started working OK again while I was waiting for it's replacement to arrive.

[Deleted User]

Bendy_House said:

Deleted_User said:

This morning, I switched them all off and on again and it tripped. I left one switch of each time and by the time I left the house, there was no tripping and the ground floor lights were the ones kept off. Will see when I get back from work.

You might be getting close to the cause, but it isn't certain.

Each circuit is likely to have some minor leakage, and when it all adds up to 30mA, the RCD should trip. So it could be that all the other circuits - including the 'leakiest' - are adding up to a theoretical 29mA, and then turning on the downstairs lighting circuit adds a measly 1 extra mA = trip!

But, good chance that the lighting circuit is the culprit.

When you turn off all other 5 and leave JUST that lighting MCB on, does it trip? If so, that's your answer.

Does that lighting include an outside light? Has it been windy and wet? Do you have any LED lamps fitted? Have any 'blown'? Any other lamps gone? Go round and make sure every light switch is off - does that make any difference? Still trip?

Unscrew every bulb... :-)

I assumed it was the outside lights as it was wet and windy. I turned that off initially and it still was tripping. Got home today, all the switches are up apart from the one on the very left. Switched that up, everything turned on fine but one of the switches tripped. Thought I solved, however, now trying to replicate the fix (having all the switches off aside that one), it's not turning on. Bright red light on the box mean anything? The one with the screen 

[Deleted User]

Bendy_House said:

Deleted_User said:

This morning, I switched them all off and on again and it tripped. I left one switch of each time and by the time I left the house, there was no tripping and the ground floor lights were the ones kept off. Will see when I get back from work.

You might be getting close to the cause, but it isn't certain.

Each circuit is likely to have some minor leakage, and when it all adds up to 30mA, the RCD should trip. So it could be that all the other circuits - including the 'leakiest' - are adding up to a theoretical 29mA, and then turning on the downstairs lighting circuit adds a measly 1 extra mA = trip!

But, good chance that the lighting circuit is the culprit.

When you turn off all other 5 and leave JUST that lighting MCB on, does it trip? If so, that's your answer.

Does that lighting include an outside light? Has it been windy and wet? Do you have any LED lamps fitted? Have any 'blown'? Any other lamps gone? Go round and make sure every light switch is off - does that make any difference? Still trip?

Unscrew every bulb... :-)

There should be a situation where the RCD (the one on the left?) doesn't trip correct? As in, if I undo a plug or switch all the other switches on bar one, one should work? What's happening now is that I can't create a situation where it doesn't trip 

Bendy_House

Deleted_User said:

I assumed it was the outside lights as it was wet and windy. I turned that off initially and it still was tripping. Got home today, all the switches are up apart from the one on the very left. Switched that up, everything turned on fine but one of the switches tripped. Thought I solved, however, now trying to replicate the fix (having all the switches off aside that one), it's not turning on. Bright red light on the box mean anything? The one with the screen 

I thought you'd left it with the 'lights ground floor' MCB turned off? And that this seemed to allow the RCD (the far-left) to stay up and not trip?

Explain "Switched that up, everything turned on fine but one of the switches tripped." please. Are you saying that you flicked on the RCD and that one of the MCBs then tripped off? If so, which one? And, with that NVB still off, does the RCD now stay on?

Also explain "Bright red light on the box mean anything? The one with the screen"? That literally means nothing to me :-(

Bendy_House

Deleted_User said:

There should be a situation where the RCD (the one on the left?) doesn't trip correct? As in, if I undo a plug or switch all the other switches on bar one, one should work? What's happening now is that I can't create a situation where it doesn't trip 

Ideally, yes.

We are ASSUMING that ONE of these MCB circuits has a leakage fault on it. Therefore, if THAT MCB was kept turned off, then in the vast majority of cases, the other 5 should be able to remain on (up) along with the RCD.

This morning, we thought it was the 'lights ground floor' circuit.

So, what happens if you turn OFF the lgf MCB - does the RCD now stay on?

[Deleted User]

Bendy_House said:

Deleted_User said:

I assumed it was the outside lights as it was wet and windy. I turned that off initially and it still was tripping. Got home today, all the switches are up apart from the one on the very left. Switched that up, everything turned on fine but one of the switches tripped. Thought I solved, however, now trying to replicate the fix (having all the switches off aside that one), it's not turning on. Bright red light on the box mean anything? The one with the screen 

I thought you'd left it with the 'lights ground floor' MCB turned off? And that this seemed to allow the RCD (the far-left) to stay up and not trip?

Explain "Switched that up, everything turned on fine but one of the switches tripped." please. Are you saying that you flicked on the RCD and that one of the MCBs then tripped off? If so, which one? And, with that NVB still off, does the RCD now stay on?

Also explain "Bright red light on the box mean anything? The one with the screen"? That literally means nothing to me :-(

When I left home today, I left the ground floor lights off. However, about an hour later it tripped (I was at work, camera stated the time it disconnected).

When I got home, all the MCB switches, aside from the ground floor one which I left, was up (on). When I flicked the RCD, everything turned on and but the one that switched off was the ground floor plugs (so no fridge, TV etc.).

Thought I figured everything out but it tripped again. The bright red light is on the smart metre I believe. Think it just means little energy is being drawn after a quick Google search. 

[Deleted User]

Bendy_House said:

Deleted_User said:

There should be a situation where the RCD (the one on the left?) doesn't trip correct? As in, if I undo a plug or switch all the other switches on bar one, one should work? What's happening now is that I can't create a situation where it doesn't trip 

Ideally, yes.

We are ASSUMING that ONE of these MCB circuits has a leakage fault on it. Therefore, if THAT MCB was kept turned off, then in the vast majority of cases, the other 5 should be able to remain on (up) along with the RCD.

This morning, we thought it was the 'lights ground floor' circuit.

So, what happens if you turn OFF the lgf MCB - does the RCD now stay on?

No. RCD only stays on when the Switch on the very right is turned off. With all the MCB off, the RCD doesn't turn on. It probably will if I leave it long enough (an hour or so judging from early this morning and this evening). 

fenwick458

Bendy_House said:

Almost certainly it'll stay there, because you have removed all six circuits from it, so there is no more 'leaking'. 

not completely disconnected, by turning off the MCB you are only disconnecting the live conductors. all of the neutral conductors are screwed directly into the neutral bar the only way to disconnect these is to remove the consumer unit cover, locate them, and disconnect them (job for an electrician really)

Bendy_House said:

Each circuit is likely to have some minor leakage, and when it all adds up to 30mA, the RCD should trip. So it could be that all the other circuits - including the 'leakiest' - are adding up to a theoretical 29mA, and then turning on the 

Realistically a 30mA RCD will trip much earlier, around 21-22mA. probably set like this to err on the side of caution by the manufacturers, the majority of them I test will go at 21mA

Deleted_User said:

I assumed it was the outside lights as it was wet and windy. I turned that (WHAT?) off initially and it still was tripping(WHAT WAS TRIPPING?). Got home today, all the switches are up apart from the one on the very left(THE LEFT RCD?). Switched that up, everything turned on fine but one of the switches tripped (WHICH ONE?). Thought I solved, however, now trying to replicate the fix (having all the switches off aside that one), it's not turning on. Bright red light on the box mean anything? The one with the screen 

You are going to get more helpful replies by including important details in your answers. stop calling them all switches, it's confusing.
by the sounds of it you have an insulation resistance fault on any one of the 5-6 circuits on the left, and it's probably an electricians job to pinpoint that.
this is the downside of a dual RCD consumer unit, one single fault has rendered the OP without power (except to one circuit)
a new (18th edition Amendment 2) consumer unit with type A RCBO's and type 2 surge protection would be a good idea in my opinion

[Deleted User]

fenwick458 said:

Bendy_House said:

Almost certainly it'll stay there, because you have removed all six circuits from it, so there is no more 'leaking'. 

not completely disconnected, by turning off the MCB you are only disconnecting the live conductors. all of the neutral conductors are screwed directly into the neutral bar the only way to disconnect these is to remove the consumer unit cover, locate them, and disconnect them (job for an electrician really)

Bendy_House said:

Each circuit is likely to have some minor leakage, and when it all adds up to 30mA, the RCD should trip. So it could be that all the other circuits - including the 'leakiest' - are adding up to a theoretical 29mA, and then turning on the 

Realistically a 30mA RCD will trip much earlier, around 21-22mA. probably set like this to err on the side of caution by the manufacturers, the majority of them I test will go at 21mA

Deleted_User said:

I assumed it was the outside lights as it was wet and windy. I turned that (WHAT?) off initially and it still was tripping(WHAT WAS TRIPPING?). Got home today, all the switches are up apart from the one on the very left(THE LEFT RCD?). Switched that up, everything turned on fine but one of the switches tripped (WHICH ONE?). Thought I solved, however, now trying to replicate the fix (having all the switches off aside that one), it's not turning on. Bright red light on the box mean anything? The one with the screen 

You are going to get more helpful replies by including important details in your answers. stop calling them all switches, it's confusing.
by the sounds of it you have an insulation resistance fault on any one of the 5-6 circuits on the left, and it's probably an electricians job to pinpoint that.
this is the downside of a dual RCD consumer unit, one single fault has rendered the OP without power (except to one circuit)
a new (18th edition Amendment 2) consumer unit with type A RCBO's and type 2 surge protection would be a good idea in my opinion

Doing the best I can without being an electrician. Had no idea about an RCB etc was so posted a picture and said which one was tripping. In short, RCB won't stay up. 

Quick question, when trying to find the issue, is there much difference between unplugging an appliance and switching it off from the switch?